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PRO CAREER: Tied for Bears INT lead among active players, the 2005 Pro Bowler is tied for 7th in the NFL (tied for 2nd in the NFC) over his first 4 seasons with 17 interceptions… Ranks 5th in NFL from 2004-07 with 367 INT return yards and 8th with a 21.6-yard return average… Scored 3 career TDs and was one of just 21 NFL players with 2 INT return TDs from 2004-05… Scored other TD on 108-yard missed FG return, setting a then-record for the longest scoring play in NFL history… Chicago's first Pro Bowl CB since 1994 (Donnell Woolford), led Bears with career-high 8 INTs in 2005, the most by a Bears player since Mark Carrier (10 in 1990)… Combined with Charles Tillman to record 13 INTs in 2005; tied for NFL's 3rd-most picks by a CB tandem, tied for tops in NFC, most by Bears duo since 1990 (Carrier, 10; Woolford, 3) and most by any Chicago CB duo dating back to 1968… Tillman (13) and Vasher (12) led all NFC cornerback tandems with 25 combined interceptions over the course of the last three seasons (tied for third most in the NFL)… Tillman (10) and Vasher (11) were also the only CB duo in the NFL to each record double-digit INTs with the same team over the course of the 2005 and 2006 seasons… His 17 interceptions are second only to Mike Richardson (18, 1983-86) for most INTs as a Bear in their first four NFL seasons… Was also the first player since Charlie Sumner (1955, 1958-59) to record at least 16 INTs as a Bear in their first 3 NFL seasons (2004-06)… Has appeared in 50 career regular season contests, starting 37 while recording 143 tackles, 17 INTs, 32 PBUs, 1 TFL, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and a sack… Second consecutive Bears rookie to lead team in INTs with 5 in 2004 (Tillman, 4 in 2003), the most by a Chicago rookie since 1990 (Carrier, 10), en route to pacing NFC and ranking 2nd in NFL with 177 INT return yards, 3rd-highest single-season total in club history… Contributed to Bears record-setting 6 defensive TDs in 2004 with a 71-yard INT return TD, the longest INT return TD by a Chicago defender in the last 12 seasons (Dante Jones INT, lateraled to Jeremy Lincoln for an 80-yard TD return vs. GB, 12/5/93).
CAREER TRANSACTIONS: Entered NFL as a fourth-round selection (110th overall) by Chicago in the 2004 NFL Draft… Signed 4-year contract with Bears (5/24/04)… Signed 5-year contract extension with Bears (6/25/07). SIGNED through 2012
2007 SEASON: Participated in Games 1-3, but a groin injury suffered vs. DAL (9/23/07) sidelined him for almost 3 months… Recorded 9 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PBUs and his first career sack… Returned to action at MIN (12/17/07) recording 3 tackles, 1 INT, and 1 PBU… Played in Games 1-3 and 14; Inactive Games 4-13 and 15; Placed on injured reserve (12/27/07). GAMES PLAYED-STARTED: 4-2
PREVIOUS SEASONS: 2006 - Tied for 3rd on Bears roster with 3 INTs while ranking 4th with 7 PBUs in 14 games played, including 13 starts at RCB… Participated in Games 1-12 and 15-16, starting all those contests except Game 1; missed first 2 games of career after being Inactive Games 13-14 with a hamstring injury… In 3 postseason starts gathered 13 tackles with 1 INT and 1 fumble recovery, as both takeaways came in the NFC Championship game… Paced Chicago with 3 PBUs in Super Bowl XLI (2/4/07).
2005 - Selected to Pro Bowl after leading Chicago with career-high 8 INTs, ranking 2nd in NFC and tied for 4th in NFL with the 3rd-highest single-season total in team history… Ranked 6th in NFL with 145 INT return yards, including a 45-yard TD return… Played all 16 games for the second consecutive season while setting career highs with 15 starts, 57 tackles, and 18 PBUs… Started Games 1-3 and 5-16 at RCB - did not start Game 4 as Bears opened in a 3-safety set… Recorded 2 INTs that led to Bears TDs vs. DET (9/18)… Named NFC Special Teams Player-of-the-Week vs. SF (11/13), setting a then-NFL record on a 108-yard missed FG return for TD… Earned NFC Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors for setting-up Chicago's first 10 points vs. CAR (11/20) with 2 first-quarter INTs with returns of 46 and 22 yards; also had 4 tackles, 2 PBUs and 1 forced fumble… Tallied 1 INT for NFC in Pro Bowl debut (2/12/06).
2004 - Led Chicago with 5 INTs as a rookie while playing all 16 games with 7 starts… Tied for 3rd in NFC and 8th in NFL in INTs while tying for 3rd in NFL among rookies… Led NFC averaging 35.4 yards per INT return… Including 1 fumble recovery, his 6 takeaways tied Mike Green for the team lead… Started Games 4-5, 11 at CB and Games 6-7, 13 and 15 in a 5-defensive back set.
COLLEGE: Named an All-American as a punt returner in 2001, the 3-year starter at Texas (2000-03) finished his career tied for the most INTs in school history with 17 and set Longhorn career record with 64 PBUs… Finished career with 2 years as a starting CB after starting at strong safety as a sophomore en route to starting 38-of-47 contests during career while totaling 152 tackles, 15 TFLs and 2 sacks… First team All-Big 12 as a senior and sophomore, second team as a junior CB and third team as a junior returner… Set school record with 1,314 career punt return yards (3rd in Big 12 history) on 94 returns with 2 TDs… Started every game at weak-side CB as a senior and set school single-season record with 26 PBUs; adding 6 INTs… Averaged 13.0 yards on 28 punt returns (364 yards)… As a junior, named second-team All-American after starting 10 of 11 games at CB, recording 4 INTs and 15 PBUs… Averaged 14.2 yards and scored 1 TD on 26 punt returns (370 yards)… Third-team All-American selection as a sophomore after establishing career-highs with 56 tackles and 7 INTs while tying school record with 18 PBUs… Received team's Joseph W. Moore Award (for tenacity) after starting every game at SS… Set UT single-season punt return record with 554 yards (14.9 avg.) on 37 punt returns and single-game school record with 173 yards (24.7 avg.) on 7 punt returns… Played 11 games as a freshman, starting 3 at nickel back, making 20 tackles with 3 TFLs, 1 sack, 5 PBUs and returning 3 punts for 26 yards (8.7 avg)… Majored in liberal arts.
PERSONAL: Played both WR and CB at Texas H.S. in Texarkana, TX… Named first-team Texas 4A All-State team on both offense and defense as a senior by the Texas Sportswriters Association and was a 1999 first-team all-state selection at CB by the Associated Press… Registered 106 tackles, 6 INTs, 2 sacks and forced 3 fumbles in 1999 while catching 52 passes for 837 yards and 12 TDs… Lettered 3 seasons in basketball and track… Honor roll student in high school… Born Nathanael DeWayne Vasher in Wichita Falls, Texas… Mother is Monica.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS: Entered NFL as a fourth-round selection (110th overall) by Chicago in the 2004 NFL Draft… Signed 4-year contract with Bears (5/24/04)… Signed 5-year contract extension with Bears (6/25/07). SIGNED through 2012
2007 SEASON: Participated in Games 1-3, but a groin injury suffered vs. DAL (9/23/07) sidelined him for almost 3 months… Recorded 9 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PBUs and his first career sack… Returned to action at MIN (12/17/07) recording 3 tackles, 1 INT, and 1 PBU… Played in Games 1-3 and 14; Inactive Games 4-13 and 15; Placed on injured reserve (12/27/07). GAMES PLAYED-STARTED: 4-2
PREVIOUS SEASONS: 2006 - Tied for 3rd on Bears roster with 3 INTs while ranking 4th with 7 PBUs in 14 games played, including 13 starts at RCB… Participated in Games 1-12 and 15-16, starting all those contests except Game 1; missed first 2 games of career after being Inactive Games 13-14 with a hamstring injury… In 3 postseason starts gathered 13 tackles with 1 INT and 1 fumble recovery, as both takeaways came in the NFC Championship game… Paced Chicago with 3 PBUs in Super Bowl XLI (2/4/07).
2005 - Selected to Pro Bowl after leading Chicago with career-high 8 INTs, ranking 2nd in NFC and tied for 4th in NFL with the 3rd-highest single-season total in team history… Ranked 6th in NFL with 145 INT return yards, including a 45-yard TD return… Played all 16 games for the second consecutive season while setting career highs with 15 starts, 57 tackles, and 18 PBUs… Started Games 1-3 and 5-16 at RCB - did not start Game 4 as Bears opened in a 3-safety set… Recorded 2 INTs that led to Bears TDs vs. DET (9/18)… Named NFC Special Teams Player-of-the-Week vs. SF (11/13), setting a then-NFL record on a 108-yard missed FG return for TD… Earned NFC Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors for setting-up Chicago's first 10 points vs. CAR (11/20) with 2 first-quarter INTs with returns of 46 and 22 yards; also had 4 tackles, 2 PBUs and 1 forced fumble… Tallied 1 INT for NFC in Pro Bowl debut (2/12/06).
2004 - Led Chicago with 5 INTs as a rookie while playing all 16 games with 7 starts… Tied for 3rd in NFC and 8th in NFL in INTs while tying for 3rd in NFL among rookies… Led NFC averaging 35.4 yards per INT return… Including 1 fumble recovery, his 6 takeaways tied Mike Green for the team lead… Started Games 4-5, 11 at CB and Games 6-7, 13 and 15 in a 5-defensive back set.
COLLEGE: Named an All-American as a punt returner in 2001, the 3-year starter at Texas (2000-03) finished his career tied for the most INTs in school history with 17 and set Longhorn career record with 64 PBUs… Finished career with 2 years as a starting CB after starting at strong safety as a sophomore en route to starting 38-of-47 contests during career while totaling 152 tackles, 15 TFLs and 2 sacks… First team All-Big 12 as a senior and sophomore, second team as a junior CB and third team as a junior returner… Set school record with 1,314 career punt return yards (3rd in Big 12 history) on 94 returns with 2 TDs… Started every game at weak-side CB as a senior and set school single-season record with 26 PBUs; adding 6 INTs… Averaged 13.0 yards on 28 punt returns (364 yards)… As a junior, named second-team All-American after starting 10 of 11 games at CB, recording 4 INTs and 15 PBUs… Averaged 14.2 yards and scored 1 TD on 26 punt returns (370 yards)… Third-team All-American selection as a sophomore after establishing career-highs with 56 tackles and 7 INTs while tying school record with 18 PBUs… Received team's Joseph W. Moore Award (for tenacity) after starting every game at SS… Set UT single-season punt return record with 554 yards (14.9 avg.) on 37 punt returns and single-game school record with 173 yards (24.7 avg.) on 7 punt returns… Played 11 games as a freshman, starting 3 at nickel back, making 20 tackles with 3 TFLs, 1 sack, 5 PBUs and returning 3 punts for 26 yards (8.7 avg)… Majored in liberal arts.
PERSONAL: Played both WR and CB at Texas H.S. in Texarkana, TX… Named first-team Texas 4A All-State team on both offense and defense as a senior by the Texas Sportswriters Association and was a 1999 first-team all-state selection at CB by the Associated Press… Registered 106 tackles, 6 INTs, 2 sacks and forced 3 fumbles in 1999 while catching 52 passes for 837 yards and 12 TDs… Lettered 3 seasons in basketball and track… Honor roll student in high school… Born Nathanael DeWayne Vasher in Wichita Falls, Texas… Mother is Monica.
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